This invention relates to a heddle having at least one thread eye for the shed formation on a weaving machine carried out by a plurality of heddle frames which support a number of such heddles and all capable of oscillating movements, each of the heddle frames having only a single heddle supporting member capable of being driven by the respective heddle frame thereof to form the shed. More particularly, each heddle is supported at only one end section thereof to the supporting leaving the opposite end of the heddle fall.
Heddles of known designs and of various materials are in use. They are typically provided with two attachment ends designed as closed or open hook-shaped end hooks for attachment to the heddle frame. The heddles are usually lined up with their hook ends on the heddle slide bars, which are arranged fixedly or detachably at the supporting members of the heddle frame. The lining up of the heddles on heddle slide bars facilitates the use of automatic drawing-in machines to draw in the warp threads. However, since the heddle frames are constantly oscillating, the supporting members of the heddle frames oscillate such that the distance between the upper and lower supporting members is not constant. For this reason the heddles on the heddle slide bars must be held with relatively large play, because otherwise they would be damaged as a consequence of the generated oscillations. The drawback of the required existing play is the damage to the heddles and the slide bars due to wear, such damage resulting due to the continuous relative movements between the heddles and the slide bars. These negative effects increase as the speed of the weaving machine increases, so that efforts to have the weaving machines function at higher speeds must be held within limits.
The known use of heddles engaged at only one end to the supporting member of the heddle frame has, in practice, proven unworkable, since it is not technically feasible to produce heddles for such a connection to the supporting member in very large quantities with the necessary precision.
German published application 20 41 082 discloses a heddle wherein only one end section thereof is attached to the supporting member of a heddle frame and is driven by it to form the shed. Such end section has a closed oblong hook which engages the slide bar with play. The opposed, free ends of the heddles are braced, however, by a pair of separate, opposing parallel guide bars.